Three way bending iron



p 27, 1932- A. 1.. STOWELL THREE WAY BENDING IRON Filed Aug. 20, 1950 Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUSTIN L. STOWELL, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANLEY WORKS, 013 NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT I THREE WAY BENDING IRON This invention has to do broadly with the art of tools, and is more particularly concerned with a novel type of bending iron which is designed primarily for use in straightening fenders, aprons, and other sheet metal parts of automobiles.

In the repairing of the fenders of motor vehicles and the like, the work to be done very often involves the straightening out of the metal fenders from a damaged state. These straightening operations vary with each piece of work, and conditions of accessibility often exist which preclude the use of tools now available to the public Moreover, it is necessary for a mechanic to keep a comparatively large number of tools on hand in order to properly carry out the repair operations, this being due tothe fact that only one tool may be used at any one time for any particular job.

Bearing the above noted condition in mind, this invention has in view, as an important object, the provision of a novel bending iron which is designed to accommodate the varied work, and conditions of accessibility, during use to which such a tool might be subjected. Accordingly, the invention contemplates a tool comprising a bar of steel having a turned over end providing a spaced offset portion. The entire end, including the offset portion, is slotted to provide a work engaging slot which will accommodate work not adapted to be handled by the channel defined by the turned over end. The opposite extremity of the bar is also bent out to provide a work engaging channel in a different plane with respect to the bar from the slot and channel at the other end.

' Other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claim.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein:

. Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a bending iron embodying the improvement of this invention, and

Figure 2 is a perspective showing, somewhat diagrammatic, of one manner in which the bending iron may be used.

Referring now to the drawing, a bending iron which is preferably made from spring steel is shown as comprising a main body or bar portion 10. One end of the strip or bar is turned over to provide an offset portion 11, which is spaced from the bar 10 by a channel designated 12, and connected to the bar 10 by the rounded end 13. A slot 1 1 is formed in the rounded end 13, and extends into both the offset portion 11 and the main body portion 10 as indicated in Figure 1.

The other end of the bar 10 is bent out and back on itself to provide a portion 15 which is normal to the bar 10, and a portion 16 offset from the portion 15 by a channel 17 and connected thereto by a rounded portion 18.

It is evident that the foregoing construction provides three channels or slots which are adapted to engage the work for straightening purposes, and each of which is effective in a distinctly separate plane with respect to the bar 10 which acts as a handle member when one of the channels or the slot is availed of. The work engaging channels 12 and 17 and the slot 14 are each located in one of the three dimensions, so that the tool is adapted to work of various types under varied conditions of accessibility.

The possession of the above described bending iron by a mechanic obviates the need for a plurality of tools, as has heretofore been the case. Between the channels 12 and 17 and the slot 14, a mechanic will be enabled to select a work engaging channel suitable-to effect the desired straightening operations under any of the varied conditions of accessibility. In the event it is desired to straighten a badly crumpled apron, a piece of flat stock maybe inserted into the slot 14 in order to transfer the leverage point from the end of the bar to the desired bending point.

The construction of the bending iron is comparatively simple, and it may be made by conventional manufacturing operations. Obviously, the tool may be made in various sizes, and the relative dimensions of the channels and slotted end varied as desired.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently Widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understoodthat the Ianguage used in the following claim is intended to cover all of the generic andfspecifie features-of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

A bending iron, comprising a bar having an end turned over in spaced relation to the body portion of the bar, and having a longitudinal slot in said end extending through the bent portion of the bar and oppositely into said body portion and into the spaced turned over portion to receive a piece of Work in the slot and to present pairs of spaced edges of the bar against the opposite sides of the Work and prevent the rocking of the bar on the work and transmit bending stresses in an edgewise direction through the bar.

AUSTIN L. STOWELL; 

